How To Get A Free Education Online. | My Two Dollars
My Two dollars (A fellow blog) has some great tips on getting Free educational material. Including MIT & University of Berkley.
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
How To Get A Free Education Online. | My Two Dollars
If It Prints, I’ll Let You Know – Printer & Ink Cartridges Blog – Save Money With Online Printer Cartridge Coupons
Most people get their printer cartridges from stores, office stores, chain stores such as target, or even your local drugstores have them these days, one way to save money is to check online. This blog talks about how you can save 30%-50% on the cost of Ink Cartridges from sites online. Personally I get mine from Amazon.com. My printer takes 6 different individual cartridges, and last time I had to get them they were $14.95 for all 6. They start at about $10.00 a piece in the stores, even in stores that specialize in Printer Supplies.
Some people say that you can save money by refilling cartridges. In my experience, they don't last as long when being refilled. (I work for a place that refills them too) But even that isn't as cheap as getting them online.
How To Get Rid Of an Ice Cream Headache Video | General Cooking Videos | Howcast.com
How To Get Rid Of an Ice Cream Headache Video | General Cooking Videos | Howcast.com
I saw this in my email, and thought this was to funny not to post. It's one of those problems almost everyone has, though it's not very serious.
Planting Garlic
Someone recently asked about planting Garlic on a mailing list I am on, and this made me poke around on the internet and find this. I was initially looking to see what they planted. Think I will try to snag some of my sisters Garlic cloves and plant them this winter.
A Tip for helping stop the spread of Germs.
With Flu Season coming up again, it's important to be mindful of Germs. One way to help keep from getting tons of Germs, carry a package of wipes around in your car and wipe your hands down well after you come out of store or other places.
Valley group meets to swap clothes and save money - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.co
Thought this was an interesting news blurb. I wonder if there are any clothing swaps in Chicago. I could see this being extremely useful if you have kids as they are growing like crazy.
Labor Day & Other BBQ Tips
I was surfing the web and came across this post by a blog by the name of The Cheapskate Blog.
Here are some of the tips they had posted on their blog:
- Seven money-saving tips for a barbecue, starting with the obvious: Tell everyone to bring their own meat. (I would also suggest a pot-luck style BBQ)
- Three Dallas chefs share recipes for delicious party food that's fancy but inexpensive, like watermelon and sorbet.
- Great Bargain Wines and Beers, all $10 or less, as recommended by Real Simple.
- Ten ways to feed ten people for less than $20, including homemade pizzas and stew with fresh bread, from TheKitchn.
- How to feed a group on location—say, at a beach house—without spending a fortune or making three dozen trips to the supermarket, from CheapHealthyGood.
- Make it a wine and chips party, featuring wines under $15. (Cheese may or may not be in your budget.)
10 Frugal Kitchen Tips to Stretch Your Dollar
@DebtDiva recently posted this link and I thought I'd share it here: 10 Frugal Kitchen Tips to Stretch Your Dollar
- Don't let food go bad. The most expensive food is the food you throw out. Either make just enough so that there are no leftovers, have a plan for your leftovers, or throw them in the freezer in individual portions making lunches super easy.
- Produce is an area where food can go bad quickly. Store it properly to help this. When purchasing fresh produce for the week, get a mixture of items that will need eaten right away (berries) and items that will last all week easily (carrots).
- Make your own condiments. It is cheaper and better for you to make your own chocolate syrup, maple syrup and many salad dressings. Once you buy the main ingredients in large quantities, it becomes cheaper to make these items yourself. And you will never have to run to the store when you are out.
- Do the math on your meals. Side dishes, drinks and desserts included. Once you figure out how much it costs to make the foods you like, you can figure out ways to cut those costs. You can also make choices based on the cost. Say you want to have a more expensive main dish like chicken cordon bleu, but don't want to ruin your whole budget for the week. Not only can you choose less expensive side dishes to accompany this meal, you can balance this expensive dinner with cheaper dinners the rest of the week.
- Eat produce that is in season. It is less expensive and it doesn't have to travel as far to get to you, which means it is better for the environment.
- Have a night or two each week that you don't eat meat. At the very least the meat should not be the main focus of the meal.
- Shop your pantry first before heading to the store. Figure out what you need to go with what you already have. Don't start from scratch each week.
- Stock up on much used items when they are on sale, then you won't have to pay full price next week, or the week after, etc. depending on how much you stockpile.
- Cook as much as possible from scratch. If you have the right basic ingredients at home, you can make just about anything.
- Stretch foods as much as possible. See the examples below.
- If you buy a jar of pickles, once you have used the pickles, cut up a cucumber and add it to the juice left in the jar. Store in the fridge for a few days and you have a new jar of pickles for the cost of the cucumber.
- When my dad was in town recently I bought an expensive jar of seasoned oil to go with our bread. When we used the last of the oil we noticed the bottom of the jar was still full of the seasonings. I filled it with olive oil, shook it up and we have another bottle of seasoned oil, minus the high cost.
- Last time I made tacos, I quickly cooked up a pot of instant rice while the beef was browning. When that was all done, I mixed it together and added the taco seasoning. Everyone loved and a cup of instant rice is much cheaper than more ground beef.
- Try to use less of something each time you use it until you notice a difference in flavor. Maybe the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of salt, but really 3/4 teaspoon works just fine.
PricePlease - Online Shopping - Discount Tracker - We watch all the prices. You get all the savings!
PricePlease - Online Shopping - Discount Tracker - We watch all the prices. You get all the savings!
This seems like a pretty cool little site. You paste the URL of something that you want to watch the price on, and it will do so for you. So far you can only do this with 259 stores, but they are always expanding.
If you've bought something recently, it will check for you to see if they drop the price for a possible refund.
ReUsing 2 Liter Plastic Bottles.
Here are some great tips for Reusing those 2-liter plastic soda bottles. Saw this great video on @thriftstoreremx's site.
Tips for staying cool in hot weather!
Here are some tips for staying cool in the hot weather without AC.
Gift Basket Ideas
Here are some great ideas that I saw online: Some of them can be quite frugal depending on where you get your items.
- Sewing Basket - Fill a sewing box or basket with needles, thread, thimble, buttons, finish by tying with a tape measure.
- Baking Basket - Fill a Bundt pan or a candy clay basket with mixing spoons, collected recipe cards from each participant, spatula, measuring cups, and a cookie cutter. To make it even more special paint a set of pot holders or apron.
- Pasta Basket - Fill a large colander, lined with a kitchen towel, with dried pasta, spices, sauces, a bottle of wine, and some bread sticks.
- Children's Craft Can - Fill a white paint bucket with paints, paper, stickers, brushes, pencils, and markers. Finish by painting the child's name on the bucket and top with curling ribbon on the handles.
- Bath Basket - Line a basket with an elegant towel, add soaps, a candle, sponges, bubble baths, bath beads, oils, and pampering spa products all in the same color family. Finish it with a large piece of tulle tied in a bow with a silk flower.
- The Grill Master Basket - Line a basket with an apron add a cookbook, marinades, rubs, grilling tools, and potholders.
- A Pancake Breakfast Set could include Syrups, Pancake Mix, syrup pitcher, cloth napkin as a liner, jams, and so forth.
- Picnic Basket - In a wicket basket lined with a blanket add a bottle of wine, 2 glasses, cheeses, corkscrew, crackers, a cheese board and knife. Include a disposable camera to capture the fun times.
- Movie Basket - To an empty popcorn tub add microwave popcorn, candy, canned sodas, videos, CD's, or tickets to the movies.
- New Car Bucket - To a bucket add car soaps, wax, chamois cloths, sponges, key chain and special auto scent products.
- Bon Voyage Basket - Line a basket with a crinkled map and add a travel journal, pen, small photo album, stamps, prepaid phone card, travel pillow, and simple stationery.
- Fisherman's Basket - Inside a creel add lures, line, bobbers, bait, hooks, sinkers, and tie it all up with a tape measure.
- Beer Basket - Fill a cooler with an assortment of beers, pretzels, favorite snacks and an opener for a big hit.
- Get Well Basket - Fill a cherry basket with chicken noodle soup, Aspirin or Tylenol, a thermometer, current magazines, a crossword
- puzzle book, pencil, paper back books, fresh fruit, and a Get Well Bear.
- Tool Basket - Inside a Tool Bag add a hammer, screw driver, tape measure, pencil, level, assorted nails, screws and a 'how-to' book.
- Computer Basket - Fill a basket with discs, CD's, a mouse pad, post it notes, paper, and paper CD sleeves.
- Over the Hill Basket - In a black basket add Geritol, Preparation H, Magnifying Glass, and Ben Gay.
- Gardener's Basket - Inside a large pot add seeds, gloves, hand rakes, trowels, seeds, bulbs, and a decorative item for the garden. To add a crafty touch paint the garden gloves and pot.
Some good Tips for Saving Money
I came across a site that had 180 tips for saving money, Some of them just weren’t practical. Here are the ones that made the cut for me!
Automobile/Transportation
- Wash and vacuum your car at home.
- Tires, keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Keep them properly aligned, and Rotate your tires. This helps prolong the life of your tires.
- Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight puts a heavier load on the engine.
- Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high gear as quickly as possible.
- Use your air conditioner only when absolutely necessary.
- Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace.
- Do not rest your foot on the clutch or brake pedal. This causes needless wear and poor fuel economy.
Clothing
- Check Free Cycle for clothing!
- Keep a wardrobe of classic pieces, so you don’t have to update your clothes every year.
- Buy clothes at a thrift store.
- Wear clothes more than once before washing them. You’ll reduce wear on your clothes and save energy by not washing so often.
- Shop at outlet & discount stores.
- Avoid buying clothes that require drying cleaning.
- Cut dryer sheets in half to double the value of each box.
- Buy your winter clothes at the end of winter/beginning of spring. Buy summer clothing at the end of summer/beginning of fall.
Food
- Buy a water filter and make your own bottled water.
- Buy bread at the bread outlet store and freeze excess loaves or even make your own.
- Make meals that are left over friendly, like soups and casseroles.
- Join a food co-op.
- Make dinners in a crock pot
- Buy in bulk.
- If you buy soda, buy 2 liter bottles instead of cans. It’s much cheaper per unit price.
- Have potluck dinners.
- When you eat out, share meals. Most restaurant meals are big enough for two people.
- If you don’t have someone to share it with, split the meal and half and put when half in a to-go box for next day’s lunch.
- Skip the soda when you go out to eat, and drink water.
- Cooking at home is cheaper then dinning out.
- Take a list when you go shopping and stick to it. Impulse buying is one of the most expensive parts of shopping trips. Stores are designed to make you impulse buy!!!!
- Buy generic brand products at the store
- Bring your lunch to school or work instead of buying it.
- Grow your own vegetables.
- Use coupons and loyalty cards at grocery stores.
- Eat cereal instead of fast food. It’s cheaper and usually healthier.
- Have a late lunch/early dinner when going out to eat. You can save on lunch menu items.
- Join clubs at school and take advantage of free food at meetings.
- Don’t buy prepackaged cheese or meat. Go to the deli and have them slice it for you. You can get more for you money.
- Collect vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer. As soon as it’s full, make a soup out of them.
- Save Chicken, Beef, Lamb Bones to make stock or add a little extra flavor to soups & stews.
- Buy whole roasted chickens. When you have used all the meat, throw the bones into a soup.
Household
- Buy furniture at a consignment store.
- Check Free Cycle before you buy.
- If you need a tool, see if you can borrow it from someone before you go out and buy it.
- Don’t throw away “dead” batteries. Remove them from your radio and use them in quartz clocks. These clocks take such a small amount of power that batteries too weak to run anything else may have enough power to run a clock for a while. (if batteries are completely dead, please recycle!!)
- Wash and reuse plastic bags.
- Clean your own carpets. You can rent carpet cleaning machines for about $10.
Health Care
- If you take a prescription medication on a regular basis, ask your doctor to write a three month prescription. Instead of paying three co-pays, you only pay one.
- Go to the dentist at your local dental school. Students need people to practice on. You can get all your dental needs fulfilled at a reduced cost.
- If your doctor gives you a prescription, ask if he has samples that he could give you. Ask if there is Generic you could take.
- Use your local park’s playground as a workout station. Monkey bars can be used for pull-ups and leg lifts. The park will also have a trail where you can run.
- If you go to school, use the school’s gym. It’s free.
- Brush and floss your teeth. You’ll save on dental expenses.
- Eat right and exercise daily. You’ll reduce health costs.
- If you join a gym, find one that offers a month to month contract.That way if for some reason you stop going, you won’t be stuck with a 1 year contract that you have to pay for.
Beauty and Hygiene
- Use baking soda for toothpaste.
- Use baby shampoo or baby wipes for a makeup remover.
- Check out reviews online before buying
- Use makeup samples.
- Don’t throw out small pieces of bar soap. Wet the small piece and the new bar and stick them together.
- Simplify your beauty products. Do you really need 5 different types of body lotions?
Travel
- Pack your travel meals in advance.
- Buy snacks at the grocery store, not at roadside convenience stores.
- Plan trips where you have friends and family. You might be able to score free room and board.
- Go camping.
- Book your flights and cruises way in advance. You can get lower prices.
- Always negotiate hotel room prices. Hotel rooms are like highly perishable food: if they’re not used that day, they’re wasted. You can almost always get a better deal just by asking, but do it with a nice smile face-to-face when you check in, or with friendly calls direct to the hotels you’re considering. It won’t work if you just call national 800 numbers, because they can’t negotiate. If your flight is overbooked and the airline offers a voucher if you take a later flight, take it.
- When flying, bring your own snacks. Airport food is expensive.
- Avoid renting a car at the airport. You’ll find more competitive rates, plus avoid extra surcharges at car rental agencies away from the convenience of the airport.
- Time your stay for best hotel deals. Plan the timing of your stay according to the type of place you visit. Hotels in cities are usually cheaper on the weekends, when business travelers aren’t staying there, but hotels in resort areas or other places that are popular with leisure travelers are often cheaper during the week
- Tourist spots sell everything from film — to capture those special moments — to sunscreen, bottled water and aspirin for prolonging your fun, at a higher cost. Purchase these items before and save.
- Travel after peak season. This might not be an option if you have school-age children. But families with infants and toddlers can take advantage of discounted rates by traveling in the fall.
- Bring an empty water bottle with you to the airport. Bottled water at airports is expensive. While you can’t bring any liquids past security, you can bring an empty bottle. Put it in your carry on and fill it up as soon as you get past security.
- Stay in hostels when traveling overseas. While you do have to share a bathroom and a room, you can stay for as little as $5.
Entertainment
- Trade video games, DVD’s and books with your friends.
- Have a game night with friends.
- Attend movies at dollar theaters.
- Take advantage of your local university. Colleges often have free entertainment events.
- Join the library.
- Check out DVD’s from the library, rather than renting them from the video store.
- Go on a hike, take a walk in the park, or go to the beach. Some of the nicest things to do in life are totally free.
- See if your local zoos, museums, entertainment parks and water parks have annual passes. Often the annual passes may not cost more than the price of a couple of visits.
- Save money on movies by going to the matinee.
- Watch amateur sports. High school athletic competitions are cheap and can be just as exciting as the pros.
Banking and Investing
- Start an automatic savings plan with your bank.
- Use your credit card to make all purchases, but pay it off each month. That you’ll earn cash back or travel points.
- Open an online savings account. Most online accounts offer a 4% interest rate. That’s much better than the 1% you get at your current bank.
- Avoid ATM fees. Only withdraw money from machines approved by your bank. 7-11 doesn’t have a surcharge.
- Pay bills by direct debit. You save on postage & the cost of checks and avoid the risk of paying late fees.
Children
- Buy gender neutral baby clothing so you can use them again with the next baby.
- Make your kids Halloween costumes. It’s cheaper and more fun.
- Buy your baby toys from the thrift store. .
- Buy your baby’s and tot’s clothes from the thrift store. Your kid isn’t going to notice the difference between a thrift store onezy and a Gap onezy.
Utilities
- Use a clothes liner to dry clothes. You’ll save on your energy bill.
- Replace old appliances with ones that have Energy Star approval.
- Regularly clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator. A clean coil uses less energy.
- Make sure your freezer is full. An empty freezer requires more energy to keep cold.
- Use washable coffee mug instead of Styrofoam. You’ll save money and help the environment.
- Replace all your incandescent light bulbs with Energy Efficient Bulbs.
- Turn off the lights when not using a room.
- Turn off your appliances when not using them.
- If you have a cell phone, get rid of your land line.
- Sign up for Skype or Google Voice for long distant phone calls.
- Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. Don’t use your AC unless you have to!
Miscellaneous
- Get a digital camera. You save money on film & Processing, most stores have better rates for digital.
- Buy as much as you can online. Use Coupon Codes, Compare Prices
- Negotiate the price on big ticket items like cars, electronics, and large appliances.
- Use cash as a negotiating tool. Nothing makes a seller’s mouth water than cold hard cash in their hand.
- Before you buy big ticket items, ask if the item will be put on sale in the near future. Smaller things, most stores will give you the sale price if it’s with in a day of when you buy.
- Don’t buy extended warranties. Eighty percent are never used, and they’re a major profit item for the vendor. That’s why they push you so hard to buy them!
- Keep receipts and send in rebate slips. Very few consumers actually return rebate coupons. Which is, of course, exactly what the manufacturers are hoping for.
School
- Check out study supplements from the library. Don’t buy them.
- Buy used text books.
- Take advantage of free pens and pencils at business conferences.
- Keep track of your pens and pencils. You’ll spend less on them if you don’t lose them all the time.
- Buy back packs that your kids can use for years. While they might think the Sponge Bob Square pants one is cool in 2nd grade, they probably won’t think it’s cool in 4th.
- Don’t wait till the last day of a back to school sale! a lot of the items are only in stock for the summer, rain checks won’t help if they don’t get the item till next summer.
Computers
- Use open source software like OpenOffice for your computing needs.Here is some great open source software.
- Refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones. Put unused Ink Cartridges in a Ziploc bag, it will keep them from drying out as fast.
- Print off your documents in draft mode. It’s faster and saves ink.
- Use free online storage for all your digital storage needs.
- When you buy new computers or printers, keep the old cables. You never know when they’ll come in handy.
Gifts
- Agree with family and friends to NOT buy each other Christmas presents this year or do a Christmas Grab Bag Style Christmas. (Draw Names)
- Offer to give a service, like a night of free babysitting as a gift, instead of buying stuff.
- Give baked goods. Everyone loves cookies!
- Learn the art of the re-gift. If you get something that you don’t like, keep it and give it to someone else later. However be careful to keep track of who gave you what. You don’t want to give a gift back to somebody.
Tips for Shopping.
Working at a chain store, I don’t know how many times I see people think they are getting a great deal, but they aren’t.
* Search high and low. Eye-level shelving is prime selling space,
commanding "slotting" fees from manufacturers. Similar products with
lower prices may be on the bottom or top shelves.
* Compare unit prices. You might think a jumbo can of soup or beans
would be a better deal than its peewee cousin. But that's not always the
case. Check the shelf tag under the product that reveals the price per
ounce, quart, pound or unit.
* Consider convenience. Sometimes it's worth the extra dimes to purchase
a ready-to-heat entree or fresh watermelon cut into chunks. But know
that a few minutes of prep in your kitchen can keep more George
Washingtons in your wallet.
* Bag it. Sacks of potatoes, onions, oranges and apples often are
cheaper than buying by the pound. If the item has a fairly long shelf
life, grabbing a bag might be a cost-saver.
* Know prices. Just because a product is featured in a weekly sales
circular doesn't mean it's on sale. Sometimes manufacturers pay for
placement in the flier. By knowing prices, you can tell if that
highlighted item really is a bargain.
* Buy at the bakery. In-store bakeries sometimes sell baked goods at
prices lower than commercial alternatives. Compare the two.
* Check the receipt. A survey of Consumer Reports readers revealed that
6 percent have been overcharged at the register. I think it's higher,
based on my own experience. Now I scan my receipt once I get to my car
and march back into the store if I spot an error.
* Reach deep. Retailers rotate stock so the older items, such as milk,
cereal, lunch meat and packaged goods, are in the front. To get the
longest shelf life, take the freshest stuff from the back of the shelf,
refrigerator or freezer.
And, if possible, use a discount coupon when buying it.
A Frugal Tip for Beauty Care!
Want to get your hair cut, or eyebrows waxed or a facial? Don’t have tons of cash. Check out Your local Beauty (Cosmetology) School.
Here in Chicago, I know you can get some really great services from the Aveda Institute. Hair Cuts start at about $14 dollars,
Frugal In Chicago Voicemail!
Technorati Tags: google voice,voicemail
Guess what! Frugal in Chicago now has voicemail that you can call for free! Yes, that’s right for Free! Have a tip or a question, or just a comment, Just click on the button on the side that says “Call Me” (US only, no Alaska or Hawaii) This service is brought to you by Google Voice. Just enter your phone number, and Google Voice will connect you to my voice mail by calling your phone, free of charge. (If you have it call a cell phone, you’ll get charged per your minute usage per your contract.)
I wish Google had this service when I was dating someone in Japan. The rates they charge for calling Japan are only .02 per minutes. Which is way cheaper then most of the calling cards I was getting then.
del.icio.us Tags: google voice,voicemail
Just a reminder for your pets
Homemade Oatmeal Bath Powder
You'll need a blender, food processor or coffee grinder and 1 cup of oatmeal. You can use instant oatmeal (unflavored), quick oats or slow cooking oats- all work equally as well. For babies, you'll only need about 1/3 cup per bath.
Blend or process the oats on the highest setting until you have a very fine, consistent powder. To test the colloid property of the oats, stir 1 tablespoon oats into a glass of warm water. If the oats readily absorb the water and give it a milky look and a silky feel, you've blended long enough.
Giving the bath:
Sprinkle the oats into a tub of running water and stir the water with your hand several times to ensure even distribution. Feel along the bottom of the tub for clumps and break up any you find.
Take care assisting your child into the tub as the oats will make the tub even more slippery than usual. Allow your child to soak in the tub for 15-20 minutes and pat dry with a soft towel rather than rubbing.
You can use this bath once or twice a day or more frequently as your doctor advises.
Common uses for Oatmeal Baths:
- Chicken pox
- Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac
- Dry skin
- Insect bites
- Eczema
- Diaper rash
- Windburn
- Sunburn
- Shingles
Home Treatment Ideas for Sunburns
Though sunblock with both UVA and UVB prior to going out in the sun is always the best idea, sometimes you either forget, or it can wear off before you realize that you need to re-appy. Here are some tips for Home treatments that may provide some relief from a mild sunburn.
· Use cool cloths on sunburned areas.
· Take frequent cool showers or baths.
· Apply soothing lotions that contain aloe vera to sunburned areas.
· Topical steroids (such as 1% hydrocortisone cream) may also help with sunburn pain and swelling. Note: Do not use the cream on children younger than age 2 unless your doctor tells you to.
A sunburn can cause a mild fever and a headache. Lie down in a cool, quiet room to relieve the headache. A headache may be caused by dehydration, so drinking fluids may help. There is little you can do to stop skin from peeling after a sunburn-it is part of the healing process. Lotion may help relieve the itching. An oatmeal bath will also help with the itching when you start pealing.
Cleaning Your Sponge/Dish Towel
One great way to prolong your dishtowels and Sponges is to microwave them between uses. It kills off the mold and other bacteria that grow on them. Simply wet, and put in your microwave for 2 minutes.
WebMD great aticle on this topic.
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